Fielding Lake Fishing in Copper River Census Area, Alaska

• Overview

  The Copper River Census Area entry here is Fielding Lake, in Alaska. Open dry country runs right down to the water. At 1,329 acres this is proper open water rather than a pond. It is among the larger waters listed here for Copper River Census Area. The nearest place of any size is Deltana, 50 miles away. Anchorage sits 191 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Fielding Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Records held for Copper River Census Area cover Arctic grayling, Chinook salmon, round whitefish, longnose sucker and Dolly Varden. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. Take Fielding Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about -1°F in January to roughly 53°F in July. Winter runs most of the calendar, and everything worth doing happens in the gap. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near late May. In an average year the thaw lands around late May and the freeze near mid October. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. It sets the rhythm of the year at Fielding Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Should this one be busy, Crystal Lakes is 1.9 miles off. Ask locally about Fielding Lake if anything is unclear.